Originally Posted by
gregf83
If you shift up a gear or two on your lighter bike it would feel much closer to the heavier bike.
You were likely just putting out more power and working harder on the tandem. It's somewhat like riding in a group. It's natural to ride a little harder and put out more power when you're on the front pulling.
Using a heavier bike in a group with slower riders would allow you to get a better workout than a light bike. Or just put on some fenders and wear baggy clothes.
I've been keeping track of my time-in-zone and TRIMPS for 10 years or so. Not that different on tandem than on single. On some rides, a little more tough time-in-zone on the tandem because of the longer time on the same hills, but there's also a tendency to back off the intensity on the long climbs for the same reason. Have done a long group ride every week with the same folks for about 13 years. Went from hanging off the back to leading and then back to hanging off the back on the tandem now. So I don't know really, but it is different riding a single now. One would have to experience it and do some testing. I did that one winter with a SS/FG ride series where we rode every steep hill in the area. But NG trying that with this because I'm too old to get a result. It seems to take time for these sorts of adaptations. Took me 3 years and I probably have another couple years of adaptation to go before I'm done. It's also possible that one wouldn't get the adaptation if one went back and forth between light and very heavy bikes. I don't have the answers, just a result that it
is different. Most of my captain buddies have noticed the same thing. They call it "tandem power."